key thinkers + tensions

human nature, the state, society, the economy + tensions

Thomas Hobbes on Human Nature

cynical; individuals are selfish, driven by a restless and ruthless desire for supremacy and security

Thomas Hobbes on The State

the state arises *contractually* from individuals who seek order and security. to serve its purpose, the state must be autocratic and awesome

Thomas Hobbes on Society

there can be *society* until the creation of a state brings order and authority to human affairs. life until then is *nasty, brutish and short*

Thomas Hobbes on The Economy

constructive and enduring economic activity is impossible without a state guaranteeing order and security

Edmund Burke on Human Nature

sceptical; the *crooked timber of humanity* is marked by a gap between aspiration and achievement. we may conceive of perfection but we are unable to achieve it

Edmund Burke on The State

the state arises organically and should be aristocratic, driven by hereditary elite, reared to rule in the interests of all

Edmund Burke on Society

society is organic and multi-faceted, compromising a hist of small communities and organisations - *little platoons*

Edmund Burke on The Economy

trade should involve *organic* free markets and laissez-faire capitalism

Michael Oakshott on Human Nature

modest; humanity is at its best when free from grand designs and when focused on the routines of everyday life

Michael Oakshott on The State

the state should be guided by traditional and practical concerns. pragmatism, not dogmatism, should be its watchword

Michael Oakshott on Society

localised communities are essential to humanity’s survival, especially then guided by short-term requirements rather than abstract ideas

Michael Oakshott on The Economy

free markets are volatile and unpredictable, and may require pragmatic moderation by the state

Ayn Rand on Human Nature

*objectivist*; we are and ought to be guided by rational self-interest and the pursuit of self-fulfilment

Ayn Rand on The State

the state should confine itself to law, order and national security. any attempt to promote *positive liberty* via further state intervention, should be resisted

Ayn Rand on Society

in so far as it exists at all, society is atomistic; the mere sum total of its individuals. any attempt to restrict individuals in the name of society should be challenged

Ayn Rand on The Economy

free-market capitalism is an expression of *objectivist* inividualism and should not be hindered by the state

Robert Nozick on Human Nature

*egotistical;* individuals are driven by a quest for *self ownership,* allowing them to realise their full potential

Robert Nozick on The State

the minachrist state should merely outsource, renew and reallocate contracts to private companies providing public services

Robert Nozick on Society

society should be geared to individual self-fulfilment. this may lead to a plethora of small, variable communities reflecting their members’ diverse tastes and philosophies

Robert Nozick on The Economy

the monarchist state should detach itself from a privatised and deregulated economy, merely arbitrating disputes between private economic organisations

tensions in human nature

* traditional conservatives, such as Burke and Oakeshott, take a sceptical view of human nature, drawing attention to the gap between aspiration and achievement while warning against the grand, utopian schemes of progressive politicians. For them, the horrors of supposedly idealistic movements — such as the French and Russian Revolutions — are not tragic accidents, they arise from a misreading and overestimation of human potential.
* By contrast, New Right thinkers take a more optimistic view, emphasising the possibilities of individuals with initiative and liberty. Key thinkers like Nozick and Rand take an especially positive view of what individuals can achieve in the economic sphere, arguing that the key to unlocking human potential lies in fostering a pro-capitalist environment where individual energies are unleashed.

tensions in society

* traditional conservatives see society as a collection of small communities (what Burke termed ‘little platoons’), overseen by a hierarchical structure in which ‘paternalistic’ elites exercise their inherited power in the interests of the majority. Such communities are considered organic, in the sense that they emerge in a natural and unplanned way, and place great store upon tradition and continuity.
* By contrast, New Right conservatives are ambivalent about society’s very existence, drawing upon the libertarian belief that society is a mere collection of atomised individuals seeking self-determination. New Right conservatives are more sceptical about paternalistic communities, preferring a society defined by those who have achieved, rather than inherited, power, status and property — in other words, a society that is meritocratic rather than aristocratic.

tensions in the state

* traditional conservatives like Burke defend a state where political power is wielded by those who are ‘born to rule’. As such, traditional conservatives believe the best states have a natural ‘ruling class’, reared according to the principles of duty and sacrifice, and instilled with a sense of responsibility towards the governed. Traditional conservatives are pragmatic about the extent of the state and are prepared to enlarge it in the name of social stability and ‘one nation’.
* By contrast, New Right conservatives wish to ‘roll back the frontiers of the state’ (outside areas such as security and defence) so as to advance individual freedom and reverse the dependency culture. New Right conservatives are hostile to the principle of aristocratic rule — they fear that ruling classes have too much stake in the status quo and are therefore reluctant to admit the need for radical change by New Right governments.

tensions in the economy

* traditional conservatives, while keen to defend an economy based on private ownership, are sceptical about free-market capitalism, fearful that its dynamic effects exacerbate inequality, threaten ‘one nation’ and fuel support for socialism. As capitalism becomes more globalised, traditional conservatives also fear that market forces promote a more cosmopolitan society that erodes national identity and national culture. As a result, traditional conservatives have been prepared to countenance state intervention via Keynesian economics, higher taxation and high public spending on state welfare.
* By contrast, New Right conservatives like Nozick zealously advocate free-market economies where state functions are privatised and deregulated, and where levels of taxation and state spending are significantly reduced.

Thomas Hobbes

1588, 1679

Thomas Hobbes’ key work

Leviathan 1651

Edmund Burke

1729, 97

Edmund Burke’s key work

Reflection on the Revolution in France 1790

Michael Oakshott

1901, 90

Michael Oakshott’s key work

On Being Conservative, 1962

Ayn Rand

1905, 82

Ayn Rand’s key work

Atlas Shrugged 1957

Robert Nozick

1938, 2002

Robert Nozick’s key work

Anarchy, State and Utopia, 1974